~ My Friend Mary ~

I was not tired at all last night ~

and after a full weekend of kayaking with family and friends,

 you'd think I would be!

so I watched some mindless TV and stitched.

 gathered together and surrounded by threads and scraps of cupboard cloth {osnaburg}

and just let me hands create...

 

Growing up in CT, 

and spending lots of time in the ancient graveyards there,

 I found the name 'Mary Black' on a headstone...

I was smitten with the name 

and felt as though Mary & I could have been {or perhaps were?} 

~ friends through time.

the first time I used the name was back in the early 2000's ~ 

... when I designed this:

'Mary Black's Shoe' pinkeep

{pattern available here} 

 and 

'Olde Witche Mary'

{pattern available here }

I even punched this, using dear Mary's name ~

waaaay back in 2009 for a EHAG group challenge

{Ecclectic Halloween Artists Group}

and this piece is now in private collection...

{but I think I need to make another one!}

so, 

with the inspiration from my tiny little muse, 

 I am continuing on with my story of keeping her namesake alive.

 This is just an ongoing theme in my brain that keeps popping up ~

and it never has to be Hallowe'en for a witch to be included in my folk art or needlework!

so, here is little Mary Black again ~

this time, 

in her Strawberry Garden.

she is humbly cross stitched, 

simply freehanded so that she is my favorite kind of wonky.

 

satin stitches are included too...

in DMC cotton threads.

I have a little more to stitch, then will finish this into a ....

well, at the moment, I don't know quite how yet.

but

she'll tell me. 

;)

I'll offer her on June 1st's 

Early Work Mercantile

and if I have time, perhaps another small work.

 

My how time is flying by....

Blessings from the Farm 

~ Lori